Kentucky child has died from flu. What to know about staying healthy
A child from Kenton County has died as a result of the flu, marking Kentucky’s first pediatric flu death this season.
“Our hearts are with the family during this incredibly difficult time,” Dr. Steven Stack, secretary of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, said in a news release. “This is a heartbreaking reminder that the flu is not always a mild illness, especially for young children and people with high-risk medical conditions.”
Cases of seasonal influenza are on the rise throughout the state, particularly among children, according to the Kentucky Department for Public Health.
“Emergency department visits and hospitalizations for the flu among children younger than 5 are higher than they were a year ago,” the agency’s news release stated.
Officials said anyone ages six months and up should get the flu and COVID-19 vaccines. They can be given at the same visit anytime during the flu season, which usually runs from October to May.
The child who died had not been vaccinated for the flu this season, the Department for Public Health said.
Though most cases of the flu are not serious, young kids, pregnant women, people ages 65 and older, people with compromised immune systems and those with chronic conditions are more likely to become seriously ill.
The health department said symptoms that require medical attention can include “difficulty breathing, seizures, bluish lips or face, fevers higher than 104 degrees, coughing that improves but then comes back or gets worse, and dehydration.”
Washing hands, covering coughs and sneezes and staying home when sick are other important ways to prevent spread of the illness.
